By GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The Carroll Men’s Basketball team couldn’t replicate their dramatic Frontier Semifinal win from a year ago over Providence on Monday night, falling short in their comeback effort, 74-75 at the Pacific Steel & Recycling Arena.
The Fighting Saints (15-15, 9-6) held true to their nickname, fighting until the final buzzer in a close loss to the Argonauts (16-13, 9-6) to see their season come to an unfortunate close.
After a shaky start from both teams in the game’s first minutes, Carroll emerged with the first sizable lead in the game. An Isaac Round (Northampton, England / FR) trailing three-pointer in transition would give the Saints a seven point lead, 14-7, at the under-14 media timeout.
The Saints couldn’t find a way to hold on to their advantage, however, as the tandem of Jamil Bowles and Antoine Boyd Jr. would light it up for the Argos for the remainder of the half. Bowles was a force in the first half, leading all players with 15 points in the frame.
An Isaiah Moore (Fairfield, Calif. / JR) three-point play with 2:30 remaining in the half gave Carroll a 29-28 lead, but the Argos would end the half on a 10-0 run over the final two minutes to lead by nine at the halftime break.
An uncharacteristic nine first half turnovers for the Saints, paired with a 3-11 effort from three-point range meant that Carroll would have work to do in the second half.
Boyd Jr. knocked down a pair of threes in the opening minutes of the second half, quickly extending the Argo lead into double-digits. Providence had an answer for everything the Saints threw their way over the first 16 minutes of the half, holding a lead of ten or more points the entire time.
A Lorence Dela Cruz (Winnipeg, Manitoba / JR) layup with 2:53 remaining would trim the lead to single digits for the first time since the start of the period, and momentum would shift to the Saints.
Isaac Round buried a three-pointer with his defender draped all over him, earning an opportunity for a rare four-point play, which he converted to pull Carroll within four at 65-61 with two minutes to play.
A terrific defensive effort on the ensuing possession would force the Argos into a three-point attempt late in the shot clock, but Boyd Jr. came up clutch again, hitting the deep three to extend UP’s lead back to seven.
Three times over the final minute of the game Carroll would pull within one score, but Providence was solid enough at the free throw line to escape with the 74-40 win to advance to the tournament final.
The Frontier’s leading scorer, Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / R-FR) was held in check for much of the game, but the crafty guard still led the Saints with 16 points. Round added 13 points, while Dela Cruz had arguably his best performance of the season with 11 points and a season-best eight assists.
Providence’s Bowls and Boyd Jr., a pair of Floridians, combined for 53 percent of the Argo offense, with 21 and 18 points, respectively.
The Saints finish their first campaign under Head Coach Dan Pearson with a 15-15 record, winning 10 of their final 14 games of the season en route to a second place finish in the Frontier standings. Picked to finish last in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Carroll proved many around the league wrong, and a young and talented team appears primed for a big season in 2025-26.
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